January 13th, 2011

Seems that the MTA is playing hardball and will not provide shuttle buses to those left stranded without a subway station (Ft. Hamilton and 15th Street F trains stations) starting next week.

My friend just heard from City Councilman Brad Lander’s office. Lander met with BP Marty Markowitz, Jim Brennan and the MTA and they will not add shuttle buses or increase routes along the B61 at all.

They are adding bike parking at Church and adding a B35 bus stop at the Church Street station. Neither solution does anything for anyone wanting to board at 15th Street or Fort Hamilton. Bad news.

Okay, you say. So those commuters have to walk to the 9th Street or Church Avenue stations. What’s the big deal? Or they should just get on the train going in the other direction to Church Avenue and then get on the Manhattan-bound trains from there.

Think again.

It’s really not the best solution for kids, for instance, who take the subway to schools in other parts of Brooklyn or Manhattan. A friend’s daughter takes the F train from 15th Street to Fourth Avenue and then switches to the R train there. The proposal would mean that she, at 12-years-old, should get on the train at 15th and take it out to Church Avenue (which is a bit of a trek on the tracks) and then cross over to the Manhattan bound tracks and get the F back in the right direction to Fourth Avenue.

This is a hardship for the people who rely on the 15th Street and Ft. Hamilton stations. This is a big inconvenience. This is a lot of extra time on the subway for students and other commuters.

Solution? Well, how about shuttle service. The commuters over there really want that so why is the MTA being so tight fisted about it. When you take away (albeit for much needed improvements) you gotta give something back.